You must not follow within ...... of a fire truck answering an alarm or an ambulance when the flashing red lights are on.

• A. 100 feet
• B. 50 feet
• C. 1,000 feet
• D. 500 feet

Answer: (D)

Giving emergency responders space is the idea here. When a fire truck or ambulance is answering an alarm with flashing red lights, you should not follow within a certain buffer to ensure they have room to operate and you have enough time to react safely. The five-hundred-foot rule provides a practical safety margin so you’re unlikely to tailgate if the vehicle brakes suddenly, swerves, or stops at the scene. That distance also helps prevent rear-end collisions and gives you time to slow down or change lanes if traffic allows. The other distances are either too close to risk a crash or unnecessarily far, without improving safety in typical driving conditions. If possible and safe, move over a lane and slow down until the emergency vehicle has passed.